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CLI Open source 6,606 installs/mo

mpv for Mac

Media player based on MPlayer and mplayer2

Quick answer: mpv is a media app for macOS. Install it with brew install mpv. It is distributed under the GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later licence. It has 6,606 Homebrew installs in the last 30 days.

What mpv is

mpv is a media app for macOS: media player based on MPlayer and mplayer2.

It is distributed as a Homebrew formula, which builds or pours a binary and puts it on your PATH. It is distributed under the GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later licence.

How to install mpv

  1. Open Terminal (press ⌘ + Space and type “Terminal”).
  2. If Homebrew is not installed yet, run the installer below once.
  3. Run brew install mpv.

Homebrew installer, if you need it:

Prefer a graphical installer? Download it from the official site. MacPicks never hosts or mirrors binaries — the Homebrew command always pulls from the vendor's own release.

Alternatives to mpv

Compared within the same category and with a comparable install base, so the list stays useful rather than turning into a popularity chart.

IINAFree and open-source media playerApp7,161/moVLC media playerMultimedia playerApp11,560/moDownieDownloads videos from different websitesApp392/moHandBrakeOpen-source video transcoderApp1,721/moLosslessCutTrims video and audio files losslesslyAppOpen source737/moffmpegPlay, record, convert, and stream select audio and video codecsCLIOpen source144,129/mo

Compare mpv with its alternatives in detail →

Frequently asked questions

How do I install mpv on Mac?

Run brew install mpv in Terminal. This requires Homebrew; if you do not have it, install it first with the command below.

Is mpv open source?

Yes — Homebrew distributes it under the GPL-2.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.1-or-later licence.

Does mpv run on Apple silicon?

Homebrew publishes this formula for macOS. If upstream does not ship an Apple silicon build, Rosetta 2 handles the Intel binary.

How popular is mpv?

It was installed 6,606 times in the last 30 days according to Homebrew analytics, ranking #265 in this catalogue.

What version of mpv is current?

The latest packaged version is 0.41.0.